Fatah praises deceased Hamas MP Um Nidal
for a “journey of giving,
overflowing with struggle and sacrifice”
and for sacrificing her “heroic sons,”
one who killed 5 students, another who invented
the Qassam rocket

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Abbas Zaki, Member of Fatah Central Committee, recently spoke about the death of Hamas MP Um Nidal (Mariam Farahat), referring to her “journey of giving, overflowing with struggle and sacrifice.” PA MP Mustafa Al-Barghouti expressed similar awe for Um Nidal “giving her three heroic sons… for Palestine and for the freedom of the Palestinian people.”

Palestinian Media Watch documented that Um Nidal joined her terrorist son Muhammad in 2002, in his farewell video sending him off on his terror attack, saying this “is the best day of my life.” She added that she wished to “sacrifice more [sons] for Allah's forgiveness, and for the flag [of Islam].”

Following that attack, in which Muhammad killed 5 Israeli students, Um Nidal said:

“I gave my son to Jihad for Allah. It's our religious obligation… As much as my living children honor me, it will not be like the honor the Martyr showed me… The greatest honor [my son] showed me was his Martyrdom.”

Um Nidal was the mother of two other “Martyrs,” as well, all members of Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades. One of the sons, Nidal, invented the Qassam rocket and was killed when explosives he was preparing detonated. The third son, Rawwad, was killed together with three other Hamas terrorists by Israel.

Abbas Zaki in his statement stressed that Um Nidal “sacrificed her three heroic sons Nidal, Muhammad and Rawwad, on the altar of freedom for Palestine”

The following is the transcript of Um Nidal’s statement before and after her son’s attack in 2002:

Um Nidal with her son, Muhammad, who is armed and ready to carry out a terror attack: "By Allah, today is the best day of my life. I feel that our Lord is pleased with me, because I am offering something [my son] for Him. I wish to sacrifice more [sons] for Allah's forgiveness, and for the flag [of Islam], 'There is no god but Allah,' to fly over Palestine.... It's true that there's nothing more precious than children, but for the sake of Allah – what is precious becomes cheap."

Um Nidal after her son's death: “I gave my son to Jihad for Allah. It's our religious obligation. If I wanted to have compassion for him, or to make him change his mind, it would be wrong, a mistake. I don't want to be guided by my feelings, a mother's feelings. I put them aside for a while for something greater, although a mother's feelings are involved. Why? Because I love my son, and I wanted to choose the best for him, and the best is not life in this world. For us there is an Afterlife, the eternal bliss. So if I love my son, I'll choose eternal bliss for him. As much as my living children honor me, it will not be like the honor the Martyr showed me. He will be the intercessor on the Day of Resurrection. What more can I ask for? Allah willing, the Lord will promise us Paradise, that's the best I can hope for. The greatest honor [my son] showed me was his Martyrdom.”

The following are excerpts of the statements by Palestinian leaders praising Um Nidal, in the PA daily:

Headline: “Zaki announces the death of fighter Mariam Farahat”

“Abbas Zaki, Member of Fatah Central Committee, and Commissioner of Arab Relations and Relations with China, announced the death of fighter and member of the Palestinian Parliament, Mariam Farahat Um Nidal, whose soul returned to the creator after a journey of giving, overflowing with struggle and sacrifice, during which she sacrificed her three heroic sons Nidal, Muhammad and Rawwad, on the altar of freedom for Palestine. Zaki said that the death of fighter Farahat is ‘a loss for our people, for we have lost one of the acclaimed Palestinian women and one of the resolute fighters of our people.’”

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 18, 2013]

Headline: “Al-Barghouti announces the death of fighter Mariam Farahat”

“Mustafa Al-Barghouti, member of the Palestinian Parliament and Secretary-General of the National Initiative Movement, announced the death of fighter and member of the Palestinian Parliament, Mariam Farahat Um Nidal, who died after a life filled with struggle and sacrifice, during which she gave her three heroic sons Nidal, Muhammad and Rawwad as Martyrs (Shahids) for Palestine and for the freedom of the Palestinian people.”